The subject invention relates to an apparatus for verifying an identification card and for confirming the identity of the person presenting the card.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/175,001, by William Berson et al, filed Dec. 29, 1993 discloses an apparatus for verifying an identification card, where the card includes an image of an object or person to be identified on a first portion of the card in human recognizable form, and a coded representation of an encrypted signal comprising a representation of the image on a second portion of the card. In one embodiment of the invention of this application the coded representation is in the form of a two dimensional barcode. The apparatus of this invention scans the coded representation, decrypts it, and displays it so that the displayed image can be compared both with the image on the card and with the person presenting the card, simultaneously validating the card and confirming the identity of the person.
While the invention of the above-mentioned application is believed highly satisfactory for its intended purpose, in any application it is desirable to eliminate or reduce the need for the judgment of a human operator to compare images. One known means for such identification is to automatically scan a biometric of a person and to compare the scanned biometric with a database of preestablished metrics to confirm the persons identity.
(By "biometric" herein is meant a substantially stable physical characteristic of a person which can be automatically measured and characterized for comparison. Such biometrics include fingerprints, palm prints, retinal prints, and facial characteristics. Biometrics may also include behavioral characteristics, such as the manner in which a person writes his or her signature. By "metric" herein is meant some set of data which can be automatically compared to the scanned biometric. A metric may be a recorded digital image of the biometric which is compared to the scanned biometric by cross-correlation. More typically, a metric is a recorded set of characteristics or measurements which can be repeated on the scanned biometric and compared with the recorded set.)
Automatic comparison of human biometrics is well known in the art, as evidenced by, the article "Vital Signs of Identity", IEEE Spectrum, pgs. 22-30, February 94, and need not be discussed further here for an understanding of the subject invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,205 to: Lemelson; 4,993,068 to: Piosenka et al., and 4,995,081 to: Leighton et al., teach various schemes for recording biometrics on an identification card and using that card confirm the identity of a person carrying a card. Heretofore, one disadvantage with such systems has been the need for two separate mechanisms to the comparison device. One mechanism is necessary to recover the recorded biometric from the card, while a second is used, to scan the biometric characteristic of the person presenting the card. This, of course, presents a clear disadvantage in terms of cost. Perhaps more importantly, however, it presents a serious opportunity for a breach of security in an unattended system, or where there is collusion with an operator, by bypassing the scanner which is intended to scan the biometric characteristic. If, for example, a photograph of a fingerprint can be obtained it would be possible to create a digital representation of that photograph which would be substantially identical to the digital signal produced by the scanner. By bypassing the scanner and inputting the false digital signal the automatic comparison device could be defeated.
Thus it is an object of the subject invention to provide an apparatus for validating an identification card and confirming the identity of a person presenting that card by means of a biometric characteristic of that person where that apparatus provides increased security against tampering.